On 16 October 1995 Professor Muhammad Yunus formed a new company named as “Grameen Telecom” (GTC) registered as a Not-for-Profit Company, Limited by Guarantee, under Section 28 of the Companies Act, 1994.
GTC is one of the shareholders of the country's leading mobile operator “Grameenphone”, owning 34.20% shares. The primary mandate of GTC is to promote development of tele-communication services in rural areas of the country with a view to eradicate poverty by creating new opportunities for income generation through self-employment with access to modern information and communication based technologies. With this aim GTC has been driving a revolutionary program called “Village Phone”.
GTC provided mobile phones among the villagers of the country with Village Phone program. The objectives of the program were to provide easy access to telephone services all over rural Bangladesh. Initiate a new income generating option for the villagers and gradually bring the full potential of the Information revolution to the doorsteps of Villagers (i.e., bringing IT to the Poor). Using telephone as a new weapon against poverty. Since connecting rural areas to the rest of the world brings new opportunities to the rural populations.